Watch movement



Nov. 22, 1966 J. WINKELMANN 3,286,455

WATCH MOVEMENT Filed June 5, 1965 //DN /////////,l

FIG 1 I NVENTOR.

Jean winkelrnann United States Patent 3,286,455 WATCH MOVEMENT Jean Winkelmann, Peseux, Switzerland, assignor to Fabrique dEbauches de Peseux S.A., Peseux, Switzerland Filed June 3, 1965, Ser. No. 460,991 Claims priority, application Switzerland, June 18, 1964, 7,997 64 Claims. (Cl. 58-59) The present invention relates to watch movements Whose driving force is obtained from a motor spring lodged in a barrel.

There are various prior watch movements in which the barrel is rotably mounted on a fixed axle. In a particular prior embodiment of this kind the fixed axle is screwed to the plate, while the core rigidly connected with barrel winding or ratchet wheel is loosely pivoted on the hub of the barrel drum. This prior structure shows particularly the following inconveniences:

(a) The core rotates on the barrel hub which, for its part, rotates on the fixed axle. For this reason the clearances are summed up, so that the core and the winding wheel are not suitably guided.

('b) The core being unseparably connected with the winding Wheel, the latter cannot be removed without the motor spring, so that lubrication is rendered difficult.

In another prior watch movement, the core is not rotatably mounted on the rotating barrel hub. The barrel rotates on a bearing surface of a fixed axle and the barrel winding or ratchet wheel on another bearing surface of this fixed axle. This structure offers the advantage that the barrel winding wheel does not brake the barrel. However, the disadvantage of an insuificient guidance of the winding wheel occurs in that this guidance takes place only along a short bearing surface of the fixed axle.

The aim of the invention is to remedy all these inconveniences. Furthermore, the invention makes possible the construction of a watch movement with direct center seconds, whose height is small while assuring a maximum force of the motor spring.

The watch movement according to the invention is distinguished by the feature that the barrel is rotatably mounted on the outer surface of a fixed tube and that the barrel winding wheel is separably connected with a winding wheel shaft which is rotatably mounted on the inside of the said fixed tube.

Other objects and features will be apparent as the following description proceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawing illustrating, by way of example and not in a restrictive manner, of the embodiment of the invention, and in which FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of the Watch movement, and

FIG. 2 is a top view of the central portion of the barrel winding wheel.

The barrel axle is a fixed tube 1 made in one piece with a circular base disc 2 fixed to the plate 4 of the movement by means of screws 3. The barrel 5 is rotatably mounted on the outer surface of the fixed tube 1 by means of the hub 15.

A tube 6 with a flange 7 constitutes the shaft of the barrel winding or ratchet wheel 12 and is rotatably ice mounted on the inner surface of the fixed tube 1. The flange 7 of the tubular shaft 6 is forced into the core 8 having a hook 9 for fixing the inner end of the motor spring (not shown) lodged in the barrel 5. At the side near the flange 7 the core 8 has several projections 10 separably engaging correspondingly shaped openings 11 of the winding wheel 12. A screw 13 with a recessed head is screwed into the tubular winding wheel shaft 6 and rigidly connects the winding wheel 12 with its shaft 6. The head of another screw 14 screwed into the tubular shaft 6 is supported on the free end face of the tubular winding wheel shaft 6. The winding or ratchet Wheel 12 constitutes the barrel-cover.

If the movement is in assembled condition (as shown in the drawing), the hub 15 of the barrel 5 is axially held by a shoulder 16 of the fixed tube 1 in the one direction, and by the flange 7 of the winding wheel shaft 6 in the other direction. The winding wheel 12 is axially held in the one direction by the head of the screw 14 cooperating with a shoulder 17 of the fixed tube 1, and in the other direction by the flange 7 bearing against the free end face of the fixed tube 1.

If the screw 14 is unscrewed, the block consisting of the winding wheel 12, the tubular shaft 6 and the core 8 can be removed. If the screw 13 is unscrewed, the Winding wheel 12 alone can be removed while the core 8 and the shaft 6 remain in place. On removing the wheel 12 alone, merely the projections 10 of the core 8 leave the openings 11 of the winding wheel 12.

The invention renders possible a reduction of the height of the watch movement. Since the bearing surfaces for the barrel 5 and for the winding wheel 12 extend over the Whole length of the fixed tube 1, the pieces 5 and 12 are very well guided. The motor spring may be given a maximum width so that a great drive moment is obtained. As described above, the winding wheel 12 may easily be removed alone, so that the motor spring becomes freely accessible and can be greased without further disassemblage.

The barrel and the winding wheel do not rotate on rotatable parts, their bearings for rotary motion are independent of each other so that the clearances are not summed up and the barrel is not braked by the winding wheel during the working of the watch.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be restricted thereto, but reserve the right to make such modifications and rearrangements as may come within the purview of the appending claims.

I claim:

1. In a watch movement, frame means, a fixed tube supported by the frame means, a motor spring barrel rotatably mounted on the outer surface of said fixed tube, a tubular shaft rotatably mounted inside said fixed tube, a core, means attaching the core to the tubular shaft for rotation therewith, a barrel winding wheel, projections extending from the core, the barrel winding wheel being provided with openings in which the core projections are engaged, and means removably attaching the barrel winding wheel to said tubular shaft for rotation therewith and positioned outwardly of said core, whereby the barrel Winding wheel may be removed.

2. Watch movement according to claim 1 in which the means removably attaching the barrel winding wheel to the tubular shaft is a screw threadedly engaged with the interior of the tubular shaft.

3. Watch movement according to claim 1 in which the means attaching the core to the tubular shaft is a flange extending from the tubular shaft and forced into the core.

4. Watch movement according to claim 3 in which an internal shoulder is formed on said fixed tube, a headscrew is engaged in said tubular shaft, said barrel Winding wheel being axially held in one direction by contact of the screw head with said internal shoulder and in the opposite direction by contact of said flange against the end of said fixed tube.

5. Watch movement according to claim 3 in which a hub is provided for the barrel, one shoulder is formed on the hub, and an external shoulder is formed on the References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 808,176 12/ 1905 Thalhofer 58-86 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,085,792 2/ 1955 France.

306,211 6/1918 Germany.

RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner.

GERALD F. BAKER, Examiner. 

1. IN A WATCH MOVEMENT, FRAME MEANS, A FIXED TUBE SUPPORTED BY THE FRAME MEANS, A MOTOR SPRING BARREL ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID FIXED TUBE, A TUBULAR SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED INSIDE SAID FIXED TUBE, A CORE, MEANS ATTACHING THE CORE TO THE TUBULAR SHAFT FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, A BARREL WINDING WHEEL, PROJECTIONS EXTENDING FROM THE CORE, THE BARREL WINDING WHEEL BEING PROVIDED WITH OPENINGS IN WHICH THE CORE PROJECTIONS ARE ENGAGED, AND MEANS REMOVABLY ATTACHING THE BARREL WINDING WHEEL TO SAID TUBULAR SHAFT FOR ROTATION THEREWITH AND POSITIONED OUTWARDLY OF SAID CORE, WHEREBY THE BARREL WINDING WHEEL MAY BE REMOVED. 